The sound of armored feet marching on hard soil echoed across the plains. In the early dawn light, the forces of Galdros appeared like a dark wave advancing toward Rimuru. Dust rose from the earth with each step of their soldiers, and their banners flapped ominously in the wind. Three battalions, disciplined and ruthless, were closing in on the village.
Padrino stood at the southern ridge, watching the approaching army with Marko by his side. Behind them, Rimuru's defenders—farmers, hunters, and volunteers—stood ready, their makeshift weapons clenched tightly in nervous hands. The morning air was tense, charged with the anticipation of battle.
"They'll be here within the hour," Marko said grimly, scanning the horizon. "They've spread their forces wide, likely to encircle us."
Padrino nodded, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "That's what I'd do in their position. They'll try to push us back into the village and trap us there. But we won't let them get that far."
Marko gave a short nod. "We've set the traps along the ridge. When they advance, we'll funnel them into the choke points and hit them hard."
Padrino turned to face the defenders. Most were inexperienced, untrained in the art of war, but their determination to protect their home was fierce. They stood shoulder to shoulder, united in the face of the enemy.
He caught sight of Hinata at the rear, moving among the healers and those too young or too old to fight, giving them final instructions. She radiated calm and strength, her presence a beacon of hope even in these dark moments. Padrino knew the villagers would look to her for guidance when the battle became fierce.
Marko broke his thoughts. "I'll take the left flank," he said. "We'll hold the ridge as long as we can."
"And I'll lead the main force at the center," Padrino replied. "We need to make sure they don't break through. If we can hold long enough, their formation will falter."
"Understood," Marko said. "See you on the other side."
With that, Marko turned and jogged off to rally his men, leaving Padrino alone with his thoughts for a moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself. This was the moment everything had been leading to. There was no turning back now.
As the sun climbed higher, the first arrows flew.
The Galdros archers unleashed a volley that arced high into the sky, casting shadows over the battlefield. Padrino shouted a command, and the villagers raised their shields just in time. The arrows clattered against their defenses, but some found their mark. Cries of pain echoed as a few villagers fell, clutching their wounds.
"Hold your ground!" Padrino shouted over the chaos. "Don't break formation!"
The Galdros soldiers advanced in tight ranks, their spears bristling in the early light. They marched steadily toward the ridge, intent on overwhelming Rimuru's defenders with their superior numbers.
Padrino waited until they were closer, his heart pounding in his chest. Timing was everything. The traps Marko had set—pits and hidden spikes—needed to catch the enemy at just the right moment.
"Now!" Padrino shouted.
The front line of Galdros soldiers stumbled as the ground beneath them gave way. Cries of surprise and pain filled the air as several fell into the pits, impaled on the spikes below. The momentum of the enemy's advance faltered as confusion spread through their ranks.
"Charge!" Padrino bellowed, raising his sword high.
The villagers surged forward with a roar, their fear replaced by a desperate determination. They clashed with the Galdros soldiers in a brutal melee, the sounds of steel on steel ringing out across the battlefield. Padrino fought at the front, his sword flashing in the morning light as he cut through the enemy ranks. Each strike was precise, each movement calculated. He fought not just for survival, but for Rimuru.
Beside him, Benji fought valiantly with a spear, his youthful face set in grim determination. Though he lacked the experience of a seasoned warrior, his movements were quick and agile, and he managed to hold his own against the enemy.
But Galdros had trained soldiers—men who had fought in countless wars, men who knew how to exploit any weakness. The villagers fought with heart, but they were no match for the sheer discipline of their opponents.
Padrino quickly realized that they couldn't sustain this fight for long. The villagers were brave, but they were tiring fast. The enemy was relentless, pressing harder and harder.
"Fall back!" Padrino shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Regroup at the second line!"
The villagers obeyed, retreating in an organized manner as Padrino and a few others held the rear, giving them time to fall back. As they reached the second line of defenses, Marko appeared, his face streaked with dirt and sweat.
"The left flank is holding, but barely," Marko said between labored breaths. "They're trying to break through with heavy infantry. We need more men."
Padrino glanced at the battlefield. The Galdros soldiers were regrouping, readying for another push. If they broke through the left flank, it would spell disaster for Rimuru. He couldn't let that happen.
"I'll go," Padrino said, gripping his sword tightly. "You hold the center."
Marko nodded, his eyes serious. "Be careful."
Padrino sprinted toward the left flank, his heart pounding in his chest. As he arrived, he saw that the situation was dire. The Galdros heavy infantry, clad in thick armor and wielding massive shields, were slowly but surely pushing the villagers back.
Padrino scanned the battlefield and quickly formulated a plan. "We need to lure them into the choke point!" he shouted to the villagers. "Fall back, but stay together!"
The villagers, though exhausted, followed his orders. They retreated in a controlled manner, drawing the heavy infantry toward the narrowest part of the ridge. When the Galdros soldiers entered the choke point, Padrino gave the signal.
"Now! Attack their flanks!"
The villagers swarmed from the sides, attacking the Galdros soldiers where their heavy shields couldn't protect them. The Galdros formation, tight and disciplined, began to crumble under the pressure.
Padrino moved like a whirlwind through the chaos, cutting down soldiers with swift, precise strikes. He fought with the strength of a man who knew he couldn't afford to lose. Every step he took, every enemy he felled, brought Rimuru one step closer to survival.
But just as it seemed they were turning the tide, a horn blast echoed across the battlefield.
Padrino froze, his sword halfway through a strike. He turned to see a fresh wave of Galdros soldiers pouring over the ridge—reinforcements. Hundreds of them, far more than he had anticipated.
"Gods," Padrino muttered under his breath. This wasn't part of the plan. They couldn't fight off this many.
"Fall back!" he shouted, his voice hoarse. "Everyone, fall back to the village!"
The retreat was chaotic. The villagers, exhausted and bloodied, ran for the safety of Rimuru's barricades as the Galdros reinforcements advanced. The ground was littered with the bodies of the fallen, both friend and foe, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and sweat.
Padrino stayed at the rear, making sure as many of his people as possible made it back. His sword was slick with blood, his muscles burning with exhaustion, but he refused to stop.
As he neared the village gates, he saw Hinata waiting with the healers. Her eyes widened when she saw the state of the retreat, but she quickly composed herself and began organizing the villagers to tend to the wounded.
"Padrino!" she called, rushing toward him. "What happened?"
"Reinforcements," Padrino panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "More than we expected."
Hinata's face paled. "Can we hold them off?"
"We have to," Padrino said, his voice grim. "But we need to buy more time."
He turned to Marko, who had just arrived with the rest of the defenders. "Marko, I need you to organize a defense inside the village. We'll use the buildings as cover, set up ambush points. We need to make it as difficult as possible for them to advance."
Marko nodded, already thinking through the logistics. "I'll get it done."
Padrino turned to Hinata. "You'll need to stay here and coordinate with the healers. We're going to have a lot of wounded."
Hinata's eyes were filled with concern, but she nodded. "What about you?"
"I'll be at the front," Padrino said. "I need to buy us some time."
The next few hours were a blur of chaos and bloodshed. The Galdros soldiers breached the village's outer defenses and pushed into Rimuru itself. But Padrino and his people fought with everything they had, turning the narrow streets into a deadly maze for the invaders.
Villagers ambushed Galdros soldiers from rooftops, hurling rocks and shooting arrows. Marko's traps slowed the enemy's advance, while Padrino led a small group in guerrilla-style attacks, striking quickly and then retreating before the Galdros forces could retaliate.
But despite their best efforts, it was clear that they couldn't hold out forever.
As the sun began to set, Padrino found himself standing on the steps of the village hall, blood dripping from his armor. His people were battered and weary, but they were still standing. For now.
"How much longer can we keep this up?" Benji asked, his face pale and drawn.
Padrino didn't answer immediately. He scanned the village, taking in the smoldering ruins and the exhausted faces of his people. They had fought valiantly, but they were at their limit.
"We'll hold," Padrino said at last, his voice firm. "We have no other choice."
But as the distant sound of another Galdros horn echoed through the twilight, Padrino knew the battle was far from over.